UNDP Jobs - 48232- National Consultant - Short Term Assignment

National Consultant - Short Term Assignment - National Voter Registration Specialist

Location :

Amman, JORDAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Aug-2014

Application Deadline :

31-Jul-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

130 working days spread over a period of six months

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

130 working days spread over a period of six months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

One of the key tasks of the Independent Election Commission is to maintain an accurate register of voters that enjoys broad public confidence. An accurate register means including those who are entitled to vote, and to exclude those who are not. Some of the key challenges are: a) how to balance the reliance on other sources (like the Civil Status Department) with the need for independence; b) how to use the regular updates as a way to be ready for an election at short notice; and c) how to accurately assign new voters to polling centers on a preliminary basis. The IEC recently conducted an in-depth assessment of its voter database with UNDP support. It was recommended that the IEC develop its own voter database, and a mechanism was proposed to allocate new voters to polling centers. This mechanism now needs to be tested in the field to reflect the demographic situation of Jordan, and probably adjusted prior to full implementation. The expected outcome of these efforts is that the IEC will be able to produce a preliminary list of voters more rapidly and accurately and have full ownership of the voter registration database.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the UNDP Senior Electoral Adviser, the National VR Specialist will work directly with the (international) UNDP VR/Database Adviser and designated IEC officials, in particular the IEC Secretary-General, Director of Operations and/or the IT Director as appropriate. The National VR Specialist will provide technical advice and assistance to the IEC in conceptualizing, implementing and documenting the field testing of a mechanism for allocating voters to polling centers, as part of IEC efforts to develop effective mechanisms for updating the electoral register. More specifically, the Specialist will:

Develop a concept and methodology for the field testing, including the development of suitable surveys of polling centers, administrative divisions and voter distribution;
Provide daily advice and support in the conduct of the field surveys;
Review the accuracy of the preliminary allocation of voters, using both voter-to-list and list-to-voter methods, based on population statistics and other demographic data;
Advise on adjustments to the mechanism, based on field surveys and demographic information;
Prepare reports on a) the distribution of polling centers to administrative divisions, b) the allocation of new voters to polling centers, and c) a final report, documenting all processes and findings, and with recommendations for future implementation in order to help the IEC develop and maintain its own voter database;
Perform any other functions or support as may be needed UNDP Senior Electoral Adviser in coordination with the Director of Operations or the IT Director;
Complete a final report outlining key recommendations.

Expected deliverables:

20% - Concept note and methodology for field testing on 15 September 2014;
20% - Report on the conduct of the field testing, including a record of advice provided on 15 November 2014;
30% - Report containing an analysis of the preliminary allocation of voters to polling centers, and recommendations on adjustments to the allocation mechanism on 15 December 2014;
30% - Final report to document all processes and findings, as well as recommendations for future implementation on 15 January 2015.

Competencies

Job Knowledge and Technical Expertise:

In-depth knowledge of social demographics, population statistics and/or voter registration in Jordan;
Knowledge of surveys, needs assessment, questionnaire development, survey methodology, and testing.

Communication:

Speaks and writes clearly and effectively;
Is able to communicate complex technical issues and ideas in a clear and concise manner;
Listens to others, correctly interprets messages and responds appropriately;
Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication;
Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience;
Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed;
Communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies.

Client Orientation:

Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect;
identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions;
focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Monitors developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep them informed, anticipate problems and identify opportunities.

Conceptual innovation in the Provision of Technical Expertise:

Actively seeks to improve programmes or services;
Offers new and different options to solve problems;
Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas;
Has proven analytical and evaluative skills, and the ability to assess problems and formulate solutions;
Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Teamwork:

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve goals and promotes good team spirit;
Develops and maintains strong relationships with colleagues and counterparts;
Recognizes and responds appropriately to the ideas, interests and concerns of others;
Able to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

University degree in social science, public administration, political science or related field.

Work Experience

15 years of functionally-related and relevant professional experience in the field of social demographics, population statistics and/or voter registration in Jordan. In-depth knowledge of Jordanian demographics;
Knowledge of surveys, needs assessment, questionnaire development, survey methodology, and testing;
Experience in electoral processes highly desirable;
Competent in usage of MS Office programmes (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Language:

Fluency in Arabic and English, both written and spoken.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Proposal:

Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work.

Financial proposal
Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references

Financial Proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount including fees, local travel cost, DSA and transportations (local travel means inside Jordan). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount.